England look value
WHEN England were bowled out for 51 by the West Indies at Sabina Park in February, I never thought I’d be tipping them up to reclaim the urn at 2/1 with Boylesports less than five months later.
However, since then, Andrew Strauss’s men have seen off the West Indies with an emphatic 2-0 Test series win back on home soil and are beginning to gel at just the right time. There is no reason on paper why they should be underdogs.
Looking at some of the specials, I like the look of Pietersen to be top English series batsman at 11/4. It may not be the most original of selections, but cream always rises to the surface and he has five Tests to get there. I’ll also, for the same reasons, be having a few quid on Ponting at 10/3 to top the
Australian batting lists. Admittedly, he is not currently in the best of form, but he is world class and the best on show wearing the baggy green cap.
Elsewhere, Sporting Index’s prediction of the lowest all out score being 155 looks worth a sell, as does the number of runs till an Aussie spinner strikes at 360 runs.
Finally, Peter Siddle has slipped under the radar a bit and looks decent value at 7/2 to be top Aussie bowler.